Plane-sifter drive



May 17, 1960 L.. KETTING PLANE-SIFTER DRIVE Filed Nov. 13, 1956 |NVENTOR.

PLANE-SIBTER DRIVE Leendert Ketting, Ettenhausen, near Aadorf, Switzerland, assigner to Gebrueder Buehler, Uzwil, Switzerland, n Swiss firm Application November 13, 1956, Serial No. 621,921

Claims priority, application Switzerland November 10, 1955 Z Claims. (Cl. 74-61) In a plane sifter, as known, the ilyweight-driving shaft has to rotate at a uniform rate and remain vertical. To this end, the axis of said shaft has to be eccentric with respect to the axis of rotation of the unbalanced flyweight by an amount equal to the stroke radius. Since the plane sifter may run non-uniformly on starting or on account of load variations, an articulated connection has to be provided between drive shaft and iiyweight, which connection has to operate under proper kinematic conditions. In particular, the drive shaft must not be too short.

My present invention affords a favorable solution f this problem and a space-saving construction. The invention relates to a plane-sitter drive which is characterized .in that a cranked extension of the flyweight-driving shaft passes freely through a yweight bearing and is eccentric with respect to the remaining drive shaft by an amount equal to the stroke radius.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a schematical elevation of the plane sifter with drive shaft and drive, and Fig. 2 is a section through the flyweight and its articulated connection to the drive shaft.

In Fig. 1, a plane sifter 1 is suspended from the ceiling 3 of a mill building through hangers 2, and its drive shaft 4 rotates in a spherical bearing 5 fixed to said ceiling, being driven by a motor 6. l The unbalanced yweight 8, being axially movable rotates in bearings 9 and 10 fixed to the plane-sitter supporting frame 11. The cranked extension 4a of shaft 4 passes freely, Le. with substantial lateral play, through bearing 9 in eccentric relation to the remaining shaft, the eccentricity being equal to the stroke radius.

As known per se, a driver 14 is keyed to shaft extension 4a and carries a socket 15 which in turn carries ilyweight 8 in articulated relation through a pin 16 fixed to the latter. To driver 14 and ilywcight 8 is secured a leaf spring 18 for transmitting the rotary movement of shaft 4 without hindering the axial play of the flyweight.

Passing the extension 4a through bearing 9 renders possible an articulated suspension of ilyweight 8 and a shaft of suicient length, without unduly increasing the space required above the plane sifter. Even when the latter should not run evenly, no twisting or wrapping forces arise in such arrangement. Since the extension 4a is eccentric, its spacing or clearance from ybearing 9 and, therefore, the latters diameter may be held small. Since the lower bearing 10 also is provided with a bore, good cooling is attained for the two bearings 9 and 10.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a plane sifter having a supporting .frame adapted to be articulately suspended from the ceiling of a mill building, a shaft having an upper end articulately supported by the ceiling and a lower end, and means for rotating said shaft, in combination: an upper and a lower bearing in said supporting frame, an unbalanced fiyweight rotatably and axially movably mounted in said upper and said lower bearing, a cranked extension at the lower end of said shaft passing freely through said upper bearing for causing movements of said frame in a circle having' i a stroke radius, the eccentricity of said extension with respect to said shaft Vbeing equal to said stroke radius, means fixed to said extension intermediate said bearings for rockably supporting said yweight, and resilient means rotatable with said extension and fixed to said fiyweight for transmitting thereto the rotary movement of said shaft.

2. In a plane sifter having a supporting frame adapted to be articulately suspended from the ceiling of a mill building, a shaft having an upper end articulately supported by the ceiling and a lower end, and means for rotating said shaft, in combination: an upper and a lower bearing in said supporting frame, an unbalanced iiyweight rotatably and axially movably mounted in said upper and said lower bearing, a cranked extension at the lower end of said shaft passing freely through said upper bearing for causing movements of said frame in a circle having a stroke radius, the eccentricity of said extension with respect to said shaft being equal to said stroke radius, and means fixed to said extension intermediate said bearings for rockably supporting said flyweight.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,333 Draver Oct. 15, 1907 1,116,124 Rojahn Nov. 3, 1914 1,359,840 Roth et al Nov. 23, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS 142,452 Great Britain Nov. l1, 1920 612,791 Germany May 4, 1935 456,310 Great Britain Dec. 12, 1936 

